High intensity exercise is great for shedding body fat and re-shaping your body, but without the right antioxidant protection this form of exercise can result in excessive free radicals production that damages cells and causes premature ageing.

A recent study has shown that when the participants drank an antioxidant rich beverage before exercise, it resulted in significantly less oxidative damage to protein structures compared to exercise after taking a placebo.

It also appears as though regular exercise may not provide as much protection against cellular oxidative damage as previously suspected. The participants in this study were trained cyclists, when these athletes performed exercise, their cells still suffered oxidative damage regardless of the treatment. The antioxidant drink merely reduced the amount of cellular damage caused by exercise.

The bottom line is, if you workout hard every day, you’ve got to provide your body with the highest level of antioxidant protection you can. Some of the more powerful antioxidants available are listed in the Supplements and Herbs section of the forum